For Immediate Release
Sophie Tweed-Simmons to Attend 17th Annual Gala of Hope
Vancouver, British Columbia — October 17, 2016 – Celebrity and child advocate Sophie Tweed-Simmons will be attending the Gala of Hope supporting The Centre for Child Development and Sophie’s Place Child & Youth Advocacy Centre on October 22. And it’s going to be a family affair. Sophie will be joined by her father, KISS rocker Gene Simmons and her mother, Canadian model and actress Shannon Tweed.
Named after their patron, Sophie Tweed-Simmons, Sophie’s Place Child and Youth Advocacy Centre (CYAC) allows children and youth aged 0-18 to report their experience of physical, mental or sexual abuse in a child-friendly space where they feel safe and welcome. Since 2012, their trained staff and law enforcement professionals have worked to ensure the children they see are heard, and their families have the support they need.
With 1 in 3 Canadian girls, and 1 in 6 Canadian boys being sexually abused before they reach adulthood, one can see the need for an agency like Sophie’s Place. Says patron Sophie Tweed-Simmons, “It’s really important that kids have a place to go where they can be taken seriously, and where they can express what’s happened to them in a safe environment.”
“I’m thrilled to be back in Vancouver celebrating the success of Sophie’s Place as well as help raise funds. I’m always amazed at the amount of children who need our help. This past year, the team at Sophie’s Place conducted more than 200 interviews with abused children and spent close to 17,000 hours investigating these crimes. In order to keep providing these services, we need the community to pitch in and help. It takes $150,000 a year to run Sophie’s Place. The Annual Gala of Hope goes a long way to help raise that money,” says Simmons.
This year’s Gala takes place October 22 at Newlands Golf and Country Club in Langley, British Columbia. Tickets are limited. To purchase, please visit: https://the-centre.org/events/